From the Photo Archive | Fall 1987
They were all past their primes, but they were still far more entertaining than the younger wrestlers. Da Crusher, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and "Superstar" Billy Graham put on quite a show at the Duluth Arena over 20 years ago.
This match was scheduled to be between Hercules Hernandez and Billy Jack Haynes. They had fought in Duluth a few months earlier and were having a bitter feud. Obviously, the only way to settle it would be a strap match or an old-fashioned whipping match or whatever it was promoted as.
But Billy Jack Haynes was replaced on the card by the Superstar. Da Crusher was in his corner for the purpose of preventing Heenan from interfering in the match. I remember Hercules taking a lot of punishment. I think he was body-slammed on a table pretty viciously.
At the end, of course, Heenan took a lashing and the place went wild.
Comments
Didn't the band LOW have an old school wrestler in one of their videos?
Posted by: Swan | April 20, 2008 10:55 AM
There is a local group that has been holding events about twice a year (they did two last year and are doing another in Superior in June).
I had an absolute blast at the last two and am looking forward to the next one:
www.myspace.com/heavyonwrestling
Posted by: Danny | April 20, 2008 11:43 AM
Dammit, Lundgren. You're always proving me wrong. I guess I did see the Crusher in action.
The aforementioned Baron Von Raschke appears in the Low video "Shame." You can watch it here on Low's website.
Posted by: Barrett | April 20, 2008 12:00 PM
I remember one of these events where I saw Jimmy Suuka and Jake the Snake (bitter rivals), having a cigarette together in the back hallway. I was certain something was going to go down, but nothing came of it...
Posted by: Ped | April 21, 2008 08:48 AM
Ahh, the crusher. That really takes me back when I was a kid and we would watch All Star Wrestling on sunday morning...
Posted by: andy | April 22, 2008 11:46 AM
correction, hercules cortes
this i know because my father was promoter for the a.w.a. in the northern part of minnesota
Posted by: solon | April 24, 2008 10:48 PM
correction, hercules cortes, this i know because my father promoted for the a.w.a. in the northern part of minnesota
Posted by: solon | April 24, 2008 10:52 PM
Actually, Solon, this was a WWF card and I do believe it was Hercules Hernandez. Still, didn't your dad promote WWF for a time as well? I distinctly remember Mean Gene Okerlund shouting "HARVEY SOLON HAS DONE IT AGAIN!" during the local segments of the Sunday afternoon WWF programs.
Posted by: Barrett | April 24, 2008 11:03 PM
The Crusher would refer to him as Harvey Saloon.
Posted by: xpat | April 25, 2008 08:15 AM
Someone please open the Harvey Saloon immediately.
It was definitely Hercules Hernandez at that WWF show. The Mighty Hercules Cortes retired in the early 1970s, I think. And let's not even talk about Hercules Ayala.
Posted by: Paul Lundgren | April 25, 2008 10:48 AM
Paul, don't you mean Benny Ayala?! http://oriolescards.blogspot.com/2008/02/benny-ayala-1984-topps-443.html
(sorry, inside joke)
Posted by: -Berv | April 25, 2008 11:56 AM